Before You Go
by Rakusa
Summary: Usagi and Mamoru are in love, adults, there's nothing stopping them from making their relationship meaningful and bringing it to the next step, right? wrong, forces you wouldn't expect are keeping them apart. Suspended for now.
1. 1

Before You Blink

I was leaving. That was it, it was time for me to leave, once and for all. I turned to the door and my hand rested against the knob. "Usagi." His soft voice reached my ears, desperation lingered in the air and my hand clenched the knob unconsciously. I turned my head to look at him. "Please stay." He offered me a pleading gaze, something he had never done before.

"All right." I relented and turned fully as he came up and wrapped me into his arms, pulling me tightly against his chest, I laid my head upon it and he rested his on mine. "I'll stay." I echoed into his chest softly.

"Thank you." He moved and buried his head into my shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"You really don't have to be but I forgive you nonetheless." I tighten my arms, I almost lost him and it had been my choice, I never wanted to do that again. As I think about it out of the heat I realize what I could have lost, not just him, but my reason for living and my soul as well. Tears gather in my eyes and then he says something that brings us full circle to what had started my flight.

"Perhaps I can wait to ask you again, maybe you're not ready."

"I've never been more ready in my life." I groan, I shouldn't have said that but now that I have I had to finish it. "I've been dreaming of it since I first met you, before possibly, but it can't happen." I finished but my soul was weighed down by my guilt. I knew this is where our relationship was going and I knew that it couldn't happen but I allowed him to believe it and secretly I believed it myself.

"I'm going to keep asking you and finding ways to convince you to take the chance with me but I wont pressure you into it." He told me solemnly. "I won't stop until you say yes."

"I want to, I really do." I practically cried. "But it's not doable, I don't have the time to commit to it. I never know what's going to pop up or when."

"You think your the only one who has to deal with suddenly having to drop what they are doing and rush to some place else?" He asked me righteously, but with him it was different, he probably had to go to the office or the emergency room with a dying patient, I on the other hand had to turn into a superhero and fight against ferocious beings. He could ask for a day off, I could not.

"Our lives are too different." I said and it was the truth, only he didn't know how different, and it wasn't something I could tell him.

"Usako." He sighed and dragged me back to him. "All right, we'll leave this be for now, but I never want to hear you say that we are different because you know that underneath we are the same."

He crushed me to him and my hands fisting at his chest as I held onto his shirt for dear life. We stood there for a few minutes not saying anything both living in the relief that we had not lost each other and marveling at what almost transpired.

My watch beeped and I buried my head into his muscular chest. "I have to leave." I groaned.

"But not for good, I'll still see you again right?" He demanded making sure this wasn't just an excuse to run.

"I won't give you up for just anything and I'd never take the easy way out." She promised and looking up meaningfully into his eyes.

"I don't want to let you go, I fear that once your out the door something bad is going to happen." His hand reached up to push out a golden strand out of my eyes.

"I'll see you later tonight." I made plans to ensure that I'd have to meet them and that there wasn't a chance that it wouldn't come true. "But to keep those plans I have to leave now."

"All right." He reluctantly let me go and walked me out the door and as I made it down the hallway I felt his eyes follow me until I entered the elevator and the doors closed but before they did I turned to face him and his smiling face and the small wave he sent me didn't go unnoticed as the doors slid shut with my own answering smile cut short.

In the elevator I was alone so I answered the annoying beeping watch as it went off again. "What?" I hissed, anger at the moon princess, my guardian, the senshi and myself directed towards the weary senshi of Mercury.

"University." She told me before cutting the connection and I had no choice but to attend. I ran out of the elevator as soon as the numbers said that I had reached the bottom floor and the doors opened. I ran out of his apartment building and turned the corner into the alley I knew only too well. As soon as I entered the inlet I transformed never stopping as I continued to run and jumped over the wall that cut off the alley from being a through street. I scaled the walls and reached the roof. I thought how ironic it was that I had to wait for the elevator to descend only to go to the top of the building in half the time.

I skidded to a stop at the university and surveyed the scene, hoping to find the fight as soon as possible so I could leave just as fast. But I couldn't find them. Grumbling about poor directions I hit the watch on my hand and the face turned from the digital numbers to the face of Mercury. "Where are you?"

"The university, where are you?"

"Let me think, could it _be_ the university?" I drawled sarcastically.

"Stop being sadistic and come help us, we're in the electronic building." Mercury chided me, her eyes narrowing as if something about my tone was bugging her; I wonder why that could be.

"All right, hold your horses, any information on what type of youma this is?" I wondered.

"There are thousands of tiny micro bugs that are attacking us." Mercury glanced up at something I couldn't see from the space of her watch and then she was talking to me even quicker. "I think they're supposed to be likened to computer viruses. Get here, now."

Again the watch screen fizzled out without a further word and I tsked at my friend's rude behavior. But by now I found the electronic building and slipped in the doors to see the damage myself.


	2. 2

Chapter 2

As I opened the door the situation seemed almost anti-climactic. They pull me out of a very nice warm embrace to deal with this? I was almost amazed that their pride was heckled that they called me in to deal with something so stupid. Actually, now that I think about it that was probably Mercury's problem. She was probably extremely annoyed that she had to call in the big guns when the problem was, to excuse the pun, so tiny.

I strolled in and the nano-bugs turned their attention to me. I pulled out my scepter and called my energy to focus into the round globe at the top and it shot out towards the tiny machines. The energy still pulsing I moved the sphere and turned the rest of the bugs to dust. I stopped it short after the last thing was destroyed.

Mercury, Mars and Jupiter turned to look at me in surprise and their jaws hung low. "What?" I asked looking around. "Why are you looking at me like that? Don't tell me you couldn't even dent one of those things."

"You-you-" Jupiter was stuck on one word.

Mars' amazement turned to an almost angry tone. "I can't believe that the klutzoid was able to just waltz in here and destroy everything without falling on her ass ten times!"

"How-I mean- we've been fighting them for- a half hour- but you- you- you-" I almost feared that Mercury was now stuck on the same word Jupiter was but she gained her wit's back. "You destroyed them!"

"Now if you're done, I'm leaving."

A blast of energy sent down upon us and hitting before my feet frightened me. I jumped back and sent my gaze looking for what sent that. "I think not Sailor Moon. While your powers are enough for my little toys, your not strong enough to take me on."

I muffled a groan and looked directly into the eyes of none other then the general Zoicite. "Greetings." I mumbled, loud enough for him to hear me.

"A hello?" Zoicite raised a dubious eyebrow. "What is with the politeness that wasn't given to even my predecessors?"

"It wasn't a hello per se, it was a hello, now goodbye." I said tersely. "Your intrusion at this time isn't necessary."

"But it's so much fun." He said in his annoying slightly high, almost slightly feminine male voice.

"Only to you." I bit back, I wanted to go home, take a shower and meet up with my Mamo-chan for dinner and a few drinks. Regardless of the fact that I had spent the last two hours with him, we still had a lot to talk about.

Zoicite really was the worst general to ever exist I had strong convictions about this because he was the smallest one we have fought and very agile while dodging our energy shots but he happened to also be very annoying. It didn't help that he was stronger than the other two in energy wise; I had to wonder how strong he was physically. It had never come down to a hand-to-hand battle between the two of us.

I mean at twenty-three I was still only five feet two inches exactly. However my small stature didn't mean that I couldn't take on the dark kingdom's general. At this point I was more than willing to beat his ass down.

"Of course, what other type of fun is there? Obviously not worth experiencing." He grinned at me, that wicked, cocky grin that said he had something planned and there was nothing I could do to change it. He however didn't realize I was getting oh so very good at reading him.

"Whatever Zoi, you won't win." I yawned delicately before finishing my thought. "So get on with what you're planning because quite frankly you're starting to bore me."

I should have known it was coming, I mean I had just egged him on and I knew he had something stupid planned. I however could not foresee the alternate attack. I had not known about it or else I would have done something to stop it.

Expecting Zoicite to attack outright in anger or a sneaky attack from behind I had not expected to feel two large hands surround my neck and picked me off my feet. My hands instantly flung to try to tear the larger ones away. My eyes I could feel widening as I looked to the face of another man. One I had never seen before.

Struggling my eyes darted around to find help but there was none as Zoicite attacked my senshi at the same time this stranger attacked me.

"Not so sure about yourself now are you Sailor Moon?" The stranger taunted as the hands surrounding my neck tightened. Lacking breath I scratched and clawed at them trying to get some oxygen if not to get free. My feet were hanging in the air and I started to swing them to see if I could connect my sharp-heeled boot into his stomach. There was no luck as the oxygen in my system depleted faster. My eyes started to grow hazy and droopy. My legs stopped moving and my hands stilled. Blackness was closing in on me, this was it. My final thought was that I wasn't able to honor my promises.

The next thing I knew I was on the ground. The hard pebbles were betting into my arms and legs but none of that mattered to me. What mattered was that I was alive. How this happened I'll never know for sure. My eyes had trouble opening and my lips once freed were suddenly being pressed down by another pair, breathing air into my system. They were intoxicating and felt so familiar but then I realized I was still Sailor Moon and I wasn't having a sweet dream about my lovely Mamoru, my eyes flew open all the way.

I pushed Tuxedo Kamen off and away from me. "What?" My voice was raspy and the anger I intended to put behind my word sounded more like confusion. He held my shoulders as I struggled to bring air into my lungs by my own accord and everything clicked into place.

"Thank you." I gasped, no longer appalled by his help, I hadn't betrayed anybody and neither had he. It had been a situation of life and death. He nodded solemnly, turning his head to look at the senshi glaring at him.

"It appears only you are thankful." I knew only too well that he wasn't just talking about this time. The senshi had never appreciated his help no matter how often he saved my life. They didn't trust him and I doubted they ever would.

"Only my thanks matters." I reminded him. "I would never let them harm you."

"And I would never let any harm bestow upon you." His white-gloved hand reached out and gently outlined the bruises I most likely received. "At least I try not to let any harm come your way."

"You save me from any serious harm and that's all that can be asked, it's all that matters."

His head ducked forward in acknowledgement before helping me to my feet. I tilted slightly but he helped to hold me straight until I regained my bearings. "I will see you the next time my help is needed. Until then."

He dissolved into the shadows.

Jupiter was the one to walk over to me and her mouth was down cast into a tight line staring after the masked man the way we had seen him go before turning to look at me with just a hint more of animation. "I really wish you'd stop making Zoicite angry."

"Why?" I asked curious for the answer.

"Why?" She sounded bewildered that I had even contemplating asking that much less asking it right out. "Because you damn fool, he almost killed you tonight."

"Not true." I countered. "The new general did, not Zoicite and until Zoicite proves himself to be stronger then me I will continue to irk the irksome man."

Mercury shook her head from the sidelines at my words, she still couldn't believe that I was a teacher and used such an interesting range of phrasing. "Moony." She stepped forward. "We're concerned about you. Recently you've been avoiding us and it's not something we wish for to continue."

I bristled and it apparently showed in my posture as Mars growled low before snapping. "You know as well as the rest of us that you're suppose to come to each meeting every week no matter what excuses and we will not tolerate your avoiding us at any other time as well. If we have to we will drag you to them kicking and screaming."

I was about to reply to that blatant threat when Jupiter placed her hand on my arm. "What Mars is trying to say in her rude way of putting it is that we thought we were your friends and we miss you and it hurts us that you are trying to snub us out of your life."

I wouldn't have to if you had your own to go about with. However I could not utter those words no matter how tempted I was, for Jupiter spoke the truth, we were friends and I had missed them all terribly these last few months of avoiding them. "All right." I relented. "I'm sorry that I've been avoiding you to the point of not seeing you outside of the battle field."

"We forgive you, now how about we all head out to a restaurant tonight and talk over what has been going on the last few months over dinner." Ami suggested. "I know I haven't ate, have any of you?" She looked around at the other senshi and they all shook their heads in the negative.

I smiled and sighed. "While I would love to girls, I can't, not only have I already ate but I have other plans." At their downward gaze I hurried on with my excuse. "But I'm free tomorrow." I twisted my fingers behind my back, hopefully I really was free tomorrow, at the moment I couldn't remember. "So lets postpone the dinner for then. Unless you have something to do or you can still go tonight without me." There were a chorus of "sure"s and we disbanded going our separate ways.


	3. 3

Chapter 3 

I ran home to my little apartment that blissfully did not allow animals onto the property. That had been a secret must when I had gone looking for apartments to rent. I had lived my teenage years with a talking cat who would not shut up. In my dorm I had shared the room with Ami who loved animals and with her mother's influence allowed us to have Luna in it. The annoying pest would have followed me to my deathbed if she could and it just wasn't something I wanted. It was like having another mother but one that didn't know when to leave well enough alone and believe that since I was an adult I could make adult decisions.

So I chose this apartment, in a nice neighborhood, clean, cheap rent and above else, no animals allowed. That included scurry little mice that make their homes in walls. All in all this place was a perfect home for little old me.

I bypassed all the papers I still had to grade and made my way into the shower. As I showered I thought bemused how easy the kids had compared to fellow friends and myself. While the course work seemed to be getting harder every year they had one less day a week to attend school. No longer was there a six-day school week with only one day off but now we had two days off to do whatever was wished. I had worked hard my senior high career to get into the university of my dreams and doing so allowed me to get into the university, which wasn't nearly as hard as secondary school.

I hadn't had time to date in high school, too busy trying to keep up and make up all that I had slacked off for the last few years. Now it seems to be a pattern amongst the younger ones. I loved kids and while I could be working on the development in the younger schools I decided I'd much rather prefer to work with the older ones and possibly see some for more than one year.

I got out of the shower, dried off and had put on my robe when the phone rang. "Moshi, moshi." I greeted in a good mood.

"Usako." His warm smoky voice ran down my senses and made me shiver with delight.

"Mamo-chan." Compared to his nickname to me mine sounded almost childish but he enjoyed hearing it and wouldn't let me try to think of something different.

"Would it be all right if I picked you up at seven?"

"Of course." I glanced at the clock, which gave me an hour to get ready; enough time to blow dry my hair and put the minimum of make-up on. "I'll see you then, love you."

"Love you too. Bye." He hung up as I was replacing the receiver on the charger. I had met Mamoru the junior year of university and I had kept our relationship a secret so far. Only Naru and Motoki knew of our relationship and once I "explained" my dilemma to him he had gone so far as to help me hide it as well, promising to keep his mouth shut. Naru hadn't cared one way or the other and never saw any of my other friends and if she did that wouldn't be the first thing she'd say to them, hardly entering her mind.

I was happy for more than not being annoyed by the cat in this apartment, Mamoru was able to pick me up at my door without the secret being out. The cat had hung around my apartment building for days after buying it angry that I had kicked her out of my living arrangements and finally she agreed to go live with Ami. I luckily haven't seen her besides the meeting and a few battles. In the beginning she had given me the cold shoulder once she resigned herself to living with the third in charge, Rei wasn't able to have pets either except the occasional visiting birds. I never quite understood the connection between the birds and Rei...

But my mind is wondering, Rei had a fit when Luna once tried to eat one of her precious blackbirds and refused to have Luna living on her property never knowing if her birds would be attacked or not. So Luna returned to live with Ami who adored her, the two had such similar minds and thought processes I was glad to get them both out of my hair. However Ami was precious in the friend fashion and I really didn't mind her so much as the nagging mother hen.

After awhile Luna dropped the cold shoulder when she realized that she still had a job to do. So her anger and hurt turned to criticism and bossiness once more. My life has been strangely peaceful these last few months if you didn't count my boyfriend and the never-ending battles. And I somehow found it lacking. I missed the noise. I was glad that the senshi finally found it in them to confront me or else the hole between us would have kept widening and only causing us despair and distraction. I still found some faults in them and there were a few things that needed to get resolved but wouldn't, not for a very long time.

My memory of the past life on the moon is hazy but I recall the generals being good guys. Not even the girls recall this portion of it. But the generals and senshi were in love with each other. They will never give up their resolve because of this, they only had one true love and none of theirs would come to them because the good guys had turned evil. If they had known I doubt it would affect their attitude on the matter, until we found the princess nothing would change. They would deal with the generals as we do now, with anger and spite, never really caring for them past the inner hurt that would be ruthlessly shoved aside.

I realize I'm painting a bad picture of my friends. They are all warm hearted, kind and caring but all of them have the warrior blood that allows them to forget the pain and deal with duty. I feel sorry for them but until they understand I'm not like them we will always have an understated hidden hole that will not close until I can come clean and be who I am and get what I want without being prosecuted.

I apply sheen to my lips as I hear the knock on the door. I call out "one second" and give myself one last look over. I looked well enough and passable for most places. I hurry over to the door and open it. "Mamo-chan." A smile curves my lips, as his name exists on a breath.

"You look beautiful." He compliments upon arrival.

I send him a thank you look as I twirl for him; my simple black dress flares and settles back around my calves. "You think?" I know it's not necessarily true, but a compliment still warms my heart.

"Definitely." I could feel a frown coming to my lips but I forced it away and smiled, there was something wrong, he seemed a little distant compared to even just this morning.

"Thank you." However his bad mood wasn't something I could just ignore. "Is something wrong Mamo-chan?"

"I-" He hesitated. "No- well, yes, there was a girl today in need of help and so I gave her CPR."

My decision earlier about the fight's scene came rushing back to me and I laughed lightly. "Never feel bad about helping somebody."

"Who said I felt bad?" He pondered. "After my lips touching hers, I decided that you didn't measure up so I'm leaving you for her."

I stared at him in amusement. "Ok." I shrugged and turned to close the door but his hand reached out around the back of my neck and pulled me closer. His laughing face came closer before he kissed me. The pressure of his lips against mine was pleasurable as I sunk into his embrace and he lent against the door and pulled me even closer.

My hands seemed to come alive on their own and ran my fingertips across his jaw and around his head and held him in position. His hand continued to cup my neck while the other slid down my shoulder and arm to rest on my hip.  
The phone rang.

We groaned in unison, but at least it wasn't my watch this time. Mamoru lets me go and I walk over to the counter where the vibrating shrilling machine and pick up the cordless. "Moshi moshi." I answer. "Hi mother." I glanced at Mamoru and he straightened. "Yes, he's here." My mother knew also about the relationship, the mother's intuition was on the mark when it came to relationships and once she pried the truth out of me she wouldn't let me keep him from her. "Mrs. Chiba called you hmm?" Mamoru made cut it off motions after the mention of his mother. Their mothers became fast friends and did everything together now. "No, he didn't tell me about that." I bit my bottom lip to restrain from laughing. "Will do."

"What was that?" Mamoru asked after I hung up.

"My mother just wanted to inform us that our parents invited us to go to dinner with them next weekend and apparently you already knew about it."

He slid his eyes towards me before smirking. "I think I forgot?"

I threw a pair of clean socks that were sitting out at him. "I'm sure that's what it was. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't want to go." Mamoru replied, shrugging. "I don't particularly like it when our fathers are together with us. Alone my dad's fine, even with you, but once he meets up with your father there seems to be a competition going on between them."

"So my father's not fine alone?" I wondered a grin playing about my lips.

"Exactly. He's extremely protective of you and defensive and I always fear that he's going to pull out a shot gun from under the table and point it directly at me, ordering me out of his home unless I wanted a new hole in my head."

"Daddy's just eccentric." I told him, while pulling him out the door, we had reservations somewhere and Mamoru was the one who knew where they were. I wasn't about to sit in my apartment for the night discussing my parents. Although on retrospect it was Mamoru who had kept trying to cut that conversation short.

"Eccentric, sure." Mamoru mumbled and put his arm around my waist, in the speed, I was lifted slightly off my black pumped feet. When I was returned to my heels I wobbled slightly and he swung me up into his arms and carried me the rest of the way to the elevator.

I giggled. "Mamo-chan, put me down, I can walk."

"I know." He shifted me slightly so I was closer to him. "But I like carrying you especially when you're wearing this cute little silk thing." His free hand toyed with the straps at my neckline. His heat was making me hotter with every second that ticked by.


	4. 4

Chapter 4

AN: hehe, author scratches back of her head... you know, I've had this sitting on my cd for awhile now... I'm sorry. I guess it's kind of my type of thing... but guess what? I am updating stories, even from way back.... there are a few I'm not, and I am also changing titles and summaries to a lot that are just plain stupid titled. Oh well, on with the chapter. I am going to try and find the end of Ties that Bind, as it has been done for awhile, I just never finished updating because I wasn't happy with the end, but then again, it's better to just end it right? I don't know, we'll see. Either that, or I promise you and myself I'll work on it, and I never do.... hm... never fear, for you thought you'd never get this chapter, did you?

* * *

I pulled off my sandals after a walk in the park. I rub my feet; I should never have walked that far in sandals. It was foolish, but oh so refreshing in the morning's dew. Spring was here and I was in happy state, things were starting to look up. My senshi and I were no closer to finding the 'blessed' moon princess but we were getting on a lot better.

I changed into a pair of gray slacks and a pink blouse. I wrapped my long hair into a braided bun with several braided strands hanging down my back. I also put on sexy matching gray tennis shoes, a new design to look like more fancy shoes in the front but with all the comfort of slippers or better yet, bare feet.

I am ready to go to school now and I grab my keys before heading out.

During class, the students have some work time and I stand up from correcting the previous class's homework. "I'm heading down to the copy room, I'll be back soon. Now I don't want to come back here and see the room in a complete mess, you got that?" I teased and they laughed when I winked. I walked out of the room and headed to the copy room.

As I was picking up the next day's assignment another teacher entered the room. "You know, it's still incredibly odd to see you here. I know it happens but you were such an adamant student to never come back, I'm still so surprised. However I guess with all that time you spent here after school it shouldn't be."

I turned and laughed. When Haruna found out that I had been employed to the same school, which she had taught me at for four years, she kept making sure in her disbelief. "Yeah, but I don't think anybody would expect me to actually pass college much less make a career out of education."

"I always knew you had potential to do great things and I think being a teacher will allow you to do just that."

I smile. "Thank you Haruna-san. Now that's something I won't be getting used to any time soon. Being able to call you by your name without adding sensei."

"Now your students will be the ones to call you that."

"True." I glanced down at my watch. "Well I've got to be getting back to my class, they are still testing me to see how much they can get away with."

"Trust me they'll be doing that long after you get settled in."

I smile at Haruna, knowing full well where her comment was coming from, and we parted on that to go our separate ways.

That evening I settled into a nice relaxing night without any interruptions or obligations of any kind. Mamoru and I didn't have a date planned and while not spending every waking moment with him was hard, not really, I knew I had him to fall back on. Besides, he had to pull a late shift, the curses of being a resident; he didn't always get to choose his shifts. But by next year that would be done with and he'd shift to optometry and gain seniority and with seniority more choices although he would have to be on call for a while.

I sigh blissfully, the sacrifices of being a doctor's girlfriend. Though I wouldn't give it up for the world.

What did I want to do with all of my free time? I yawned as I stretched out on the couch. I think I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I stood up and went to my refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of wine that Mamoru and I started awhile ago but never finished. I took a wine glass out of the cabinet and poured myself half a glass. I found a bucket and filled it with ice before stashing the wine bottle in it. I brought the glass and the bucket to the bathroom and filled my tub with warm water and bubbles and I stripped down to my birthday suit and sank into the bubbly goodness.

I smiled and turned on the jet streams and as it massaged my body the sweet smelling scent of the bubble bath that I used wafted over my senses. Honey and ambrosia took over for awhile and I almost fell asleep between the warmth around my body and the warmth from within due to the wine.

I switched on the stereo before I felt too lazy to do so and I sunk deeper into the water. I purred at how good I felt.

My cell phone beeped with a text message waiting for me and I glanced at it in annoyance. I wiped my hand on the hand towel next to me and I looked at it. It was Naru wanting to know if I wanted to do something with her tonight. I shrugged, I was looking forward to a calm night at home, but I was always game to a night out with us two girls. I take another sip of my wine, and the fresh coolness against all the warmth was invigorating and I made up my mind. Naru couldn't wait, she truly was my oldest and best friend, and I owed her more than anybody else to be there for her, and to hang out with. I was going to go.

I turn off the jet streams, luckily my hair was just a little steamed, nothing more. I unplug the drain and dried off. The stereo clicked off and I picked up the phone. "Moshi moshi." She greeted me and I smiled, I hadn't realized how long it had been since I talked to her.

"Hey Naru, it's me Usagi, I got your message."

"Oh hey!" She said excited. "So you up for something tonight?"

"I'm game, what do you have planned?"

There was a pause on the line and I looked at my phone to make sure we were still connected, we were. "I just heard of this new place, it's called the Ryoal. R, y, o, a, l, named after some Tajmahalian king or something, I think it's BS, they just wanted to spell Royale differently, but whatev. Anyways, it's supposed to be amazingly fancy and one of the best clubs on earth. What do you say, want to go?"

I laugh, Naru was special, she only became more social after high school, and in high school she was president of almost all the clubs. Naru's job was in public relations, she frequented events then talked them up, if she liked them. If she didn't care for it, she said a polite no comment and moved on. She didn't realize the public hung on every word, took her no comments to heart and only went to the ones she talked up. I don't believe there was ever a place to ignore Naru's presence if they knew she was there, and definitely never a place that was mean to her or refused her entrance.

I wrap the towel around me as I head out of the bathroom and to my room, and more importantly, my closet. I fling the doors open and look at the clothes staring me back in my face. Naru was still talking and something she said caught my attention. "I know what you are thinking Usa-chan. Wear the red flirty skirt you have, the white roman style shirt and your white ballet slippers from AE."

"That's really cute." I frown in thought, Naru knew my clothes too well, I needed to buy more or change my clothing style.

"I'm sure you have something in there that I haven't seen, you go shopping almost every week." Scratch that, Naru knew _me_ too well.

"You can surprise me later. I just know what would go well in this place, and what looks really gorgeous on you." Naru paused as she talked to somebody else that was in the room with her as I waited for her again. "Oh, you can bring that lover boy with you if you want. We should talk about that sometime."

"We should but not now." I didn't want to talk about Mamoru, or what he suggested, I wanted to forget about it and hopefully never have to deal with that situation again. "How about not for a very long time."

"But Usa-chan!" Naru cut in. "I thought you'd be dying to talk about it!"

"I don't want to even think about it." I bit out, a little terse.

"Oh, ok. I guess it didn't go the way Motoki thought it'd go."

"Motoki knew about it?" I was amazed, Mamoru talked to Motoki about what he asked me? Again. Mamoru didn't talk about personal things to a lot of people and this? Before he talked to me about it? Wow.

"I, yes, he did." Naru sighed. "Ok. We won't talk about it."

"Anything else oh great one?" I mock teasingly.

"Yes. Get off the phone and get dressed because I'm in the elevator coming up." Naru ordered.

"Seriously? How did you get in the building?"

"Kyle let me in, he and I like to flirt every time I wait for you, so he just let me in this time." Naru explained. "I'm on floor two and on my way up."

"Ok, bye." I hung up and flung the phone on my bed. I shimmied into shorts cut red underwear and a white bra, nobody but me would really see it, but if they did, it would blend in. I slip the skirt on, it was tight on my body until it reached the bottom of my bottom and then flared until mid thigh where it ended. I threw on some deodorant then pulled my white shirt over my head. It hugged my breasts and was cut to show the top and inside of them, if Mamoru knew I was going out like this, without him, he'd kill whoever looked my way, but what he didn't know didn't hurt him. The straps to the shirt were wrapped by string then they hung down so it flew when I moved, along with the flare in the skirt. I push my feet into the ballet slippers that had a quilted pattern on it and a little bow.

I glance in the mirror and add a fresh coat of eyeliner, eye-shadow and added mascara. There was a knock on my door and I gave one last glance at my appearance before I answer the door to Naru. I wasn't trying to pick anybody up, but I did like looking nice when I went out. I opened the door and there was Naru dected out in a skin tight black skirt and a pink halter that was a deeper cut than mine, it went down to her belly button. What it did cover around her torso was also skin tight, except the straps that went from her neck to her waist, those were loose. I was amazed by my friend. I laugh and shook my head. "Hey Naru."

She launched herself at me in a hug and I could barely breath. "I'm so sorry."

"Hey! Sorry for what?"

"Mamoru!" Naru whined. "I was an insensitive lout."

"Naru-chan, honey, Mamo-chan and I are still together."

"Oh, you had me worried there for a moment. You two are the cutest couple in the whole wide world."

I smiled. "Thank you, now lets go party!"

Naru laughed and together we went out to the Ryoal club.

When we arrived it was amazing. There were round sofas in the color of milk and there were drapes everywhere, even in the middle of the dance floor. A sprinkling of the dancers were paid entertainers using a few of the drapes to do acrobatic tricks. The food floating around by half naked men in Egyptian style cloth were serving exotic food. I practically melted. Naru was staring at one man in particular. I groaned, I had to tear her away from it. The two of them had a particularly explosive history, three years ago they were engaged then something happened where at the end of two years ago they were ready to kill each other.

Since then whenever they saw each other it was thinly veiled threats and insults. I had never liked the cheese ball, but I couldn't tell Naru that at the time, she wouldn't have listened, she would have cut me off, that's how far her rose colored glasses took her. Then a year and a half ago, I introduced her to an old friend of mine that she happened to never have met. They got together and Naru didn't care quite as much about this guy, but they still hated each other. They would never see each other if it wasn't for the slight over fact that they both worked as PR representatives.

I pulled Naru away and shoved a pink drink into her hand and dragged her onto the dance floor. I grabbed a blue concoction as it was traveling around on one of the platters, there was an overhead charge, the people inside could drink as much as they want.

I think I drank too much, and in my hopes to keep Naru away from said cheese ball, I fed her too many as well. That's how one moment I was standing next to Naru and the next I was in a more heavily veiled curtained area. The music really was to die for, I gyrated to it. Hands were on my hips, spread from my waist down my thighs than back up. I shook my head and pushed the hands away, I didn't mind dancing, but touching was off limits.

The hands were insistent as they returned to my waist then skimmed my ribs, they settled over my breasts and squeezed, pulling me back against a firm chest. "No." I mumble, pulling the hands away and moving somewhere else. The guy followed me.

"What's wrong honey?" He mumbled into my ear, he slurred his words, great he was drunk.

"No touching." I say firmly, or at least I thought it was firmly.

His arms surround me and one hand lands on my butt, pushing me stark against his crotch and I feel his erection. "I'll touch all I want."

"No. Leave me alone." I push against his chest and he doesn't budge.

I smell the alcohol on his breath and I feel sick. "I think we should head over to the more private couches upstairs, and, talk."

"No." I push again, this time harder and he takes a step back, but pulls me with him.

"Oh come on." His face comes down and nuzzles my ear. I now feel really sick.

"The lady said no, now back off." The hand on my back side is removed and I see it in the grip of another male hand.

"All I want to do is talk."

"With something other than words, I'm sure. Now back off, she's with me." I glance relieved up at my rescuer and I feel like I want to throw up, for it was non-other than Naru's cheese ball. Hmm, I was in a predicament, either accept the creep's help or cope myself with the very forward male who could be stronger than me. I chose the creep, sue me, but once he got rid of the other guy, I'd get rid of him.

I nod. "Yes, Nech and I are together."

The other guy looks at me and I shudder at the grossness of it all. Then he sizes up Nech. "Fine, but keep a better eye on a beaut like this."

"Trust me, I plan on it." I'd find out years later that he had been keeping an eye on me and wanted to use this situation to his advantage before he stepped in, a leverage against my best friend. I of course never succumbed to it, everybody believed me over him anyways, I never did find out why he wanted Naru to come back to him.

"You seem to get yourself into sticky situations, don't you?" He asked while guiding me away from the drunk man.

"I only had two drinks." I told him with conviction. "And don't touch me." I wrench my arm out of his grasp. I was reviled by his touch. The events of the last few minutes made me more sober than I had been, I kept fading but I pulled out of it enough. A girl near me puked and I sobered up even more, I was almost clear headed. "Why does Naru hate you so much, beyond the obvious reasons?"

"She found something out about me that wasn't so good, but if she tells anybody it could be the end of a lot of things."

"You threatened the woman you were going to marry?"

"Once she found out she called off the engagement. Once I found out what she knew, I threatened her. I couldn't have anybody else finding out. She and I both are at an accord. I don't kill her, she doesn't blab my secret." I just realized I didn't know his last name, that didn't bode well, for me or Naru. "I don't kill you."

"What? Why would you kill me?"

"Because, you would be the first one she told. So I told her I'd kill you too if she said a word."

"What is this deep dark secret?" I ask, looking at him closely, hoping for a clue. There was none.

"Oh, pretty girl, no way would I tell you, just by asking."

"Whatever." I was finished with this conversation. "I'd rather see you dead before I set eyes on you again, but seeing as how that won't probably happen, just stay away from Naru and me." I tell him and walk away. I had to find Naru.

That night when I got home I crashed on my bed and slept longer than I had for a very long time, I slept until noon on Saturday, missing five phone calls from important people and seven from unimportant people or companies. Each were biding for my time. I laughed and called each back then graded papers, tomorrow I'd have more free time, including a breakfast date with Mamoru and dinner with the girls. Unless something threw a wrench into my plans.


End file.
